DENVER - Car insurance agents in the Denver metro area were busy Tuesday after Monday's hailstorm.
Several cars in the south metro area were damaged during the storm. Cars at Arapahoe Hyundai dealership were affected. Ping-pong-sized hail crashed through skylights, broke windows and even damaged part of a building at the Centennial dealership located at 9899 E. Arapahoe Rd.
If your car was damaged by hail, should you file a claim with your insurance company? The website carinsurance.com may have the answer. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding hail damage to cars, according to the website:
My car was damaged by hail. Am I covered?
You're covered for hail damage only if you've purchased comprehensive insurance coverage, sometimes known as "other than collision," which also covers such hazards as vandalism and theft.
You will have to pay your deductible amount.
Minor hail damage often isn't worth claiming because the repair costs do not exceed the deductible. Major hail damage can total a car.
I can live with some dings; do I have to fix my car?
If you own your car outright, the choice to repair the hail-damaged car is yours. Many people keep and spend the insurance company check. If, later on, the car is involved in an accident -- whether it's your fault or not -- the pre-existing hail damage would be deducted from any settlement.
If you have a loan outstanding on the car, yes, you probably will have to fix your car. Any settlement check will arrive made out to both you and your lien holder, which will want the value of the asset it still owns protected.
Will a hail claim increase my insurance premiums?
It will depend upon your state's laws and insurance carrier's ratings system, but generally comprehensive claims of this nature don't affect your rates. There are even some states that don't allow surcharges for comprehensive claims or claims where you are not at fault.
Claims for damages caused by natural events typically are not held against you, since they are unforeseeable and out of your control. But you should check with your insurer to be certain.
Keep in mind that even if your rates can't be raised due to a hail claim, the number of claims placed against your policy can affect your rates. If you have recently placed other claims, the total amount of claims made could cause you to be seen as a higher risk, and thus you'll pay more.
Does hail damage affect the title of the car?
Hail damage will be noted on your car's title only if the following are both true:
The insurance company has declared it a total loss.
Your state allows hail damage as the sole reason for a salvage title.
Many states have a "hail" designation to distinguish hail-totaled cars from wrecked or flooded ones. Others simply mark the title as "salvage."
If the car is not declared salvage, the title is still clean. The damage may show up on electronic notification systems such as Carfax, though.
What happens if I decided to keep the hail-totaled car?
If your car is declared totaled because of a hail claim and you intend to keep driving it, ask your insurance company to buy the car for its salvage value. If your car was worth $12,000 before the hailstorm and your insurance company places its salvage value at $7,000, it will send you a check for the difference -- minus your deductible, of course.
You may need an inspection before the car is allowed back on the road. The title will be "branded" -- forever reflecting the car's declaration as a total loss. Some states have a hail-damage notation for titles.
A car with a branded title is difficult to insure for comprehensive and collision coverages because its value is difficult to determine.
Does gap insurance cover the loss in my car's value?
No. Gap insurance will not cover the diminished resale value of your car. Gap insurance pays only in cases where a car is totaled, and it pays only the difference between what is owed on the car and what it was worth before it was damaged, minus any deductible.
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
Source : http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2014/09/30/what-to-do-if-your-was-damaged-by-hail/16497905/
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